Bicycle seat



July 20, 1943. G. v. SOPER 2,324,976

BICYCLE SEAT Filed May 2. 1939 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented July 20, 1943 UNITED STAT moron; SEAT Gilbert v. Soper,

Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May2, 1939, Serial 2 Claims. a (or. 1'55-5.23)'

This invention relates to preformed cushioning means, more especially to molded sponge rubber seats for bicycles, motorcycles, and the like. 7 I

Heretoforesubstantially all seats for motorcycles and bicycles have been made from a'metallic base element which has a leather covering thereover thatholds felt or hair cushioning means onto the seat. some resiliency to the seat, after continued'use. the felt tends to become seats uncomfortable to the person supported.

This is due to loss of resiliency'in the felt or matted hair and also toan inherentlack of permanent resiliency in the cushioning material provided." v 7 Thus the problem confronted has not only been to provide a better cushioning material, but alsoto secure this cushioning material tothe seat so that the seat remains comfortable over a long period of time. Of course, the cost of the completed seat must be comparable'with that previously made.

The general object of this invention is to provide long-lived, resilient supporting means for seats of the above-identified type, the seat assembly having a low production and assembly cost.

One specific object of the invention is to provide a premolded sponge rubber cushion which is adapted to conform lic seat base provided to facilitate the assembly of the seat.

The foregoing and other objects will be manifest in the following specification, which will be described specifically with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the completed seat;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a of Figure 4 with horizontal section on line 3-44 the seat cover removed.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional elevation taken on line 4-4 of'Figure 3.

Broadly speaking, the present invention resides in forming a sponge rubber cushioning pad that is premolded to conform to the com tour of the metallic base member. This rubber pad is provided with fiat topped recesses in its undersurfacc, which recesses are designed to reduce the amount of rubber required in the seat without impairing the resilient support provided by the seat.

amount of rubber in the seat is made by reduc- While the felt originally gives hard packed and the to or mate with, the metal- A further reduction of the Akron, Ohio, assignor to The Akron,

No. 271,265 Q I ing the depth or thickness of the seat at the nose portion thereof since this carries'substantially no load. The permanency and favorable properties of the support generally are improved by molding a lip on the edge of the pad which follows the edge contour of the seat and provides 100% su'pport'for the seat cover.

Referring specifically to the accompanying drawing,there is shown therein a seat indicated generally by the numeral ID. This seat comprises a metallic has a rear portion l2'and a nose portion l3 which is of reduced width relative to the rear portion [2 and whichslopes gradually upwardly from the rear, or seating, portion l2. The base member I- has spring means l4' attached to ,it by bolts ii-to provide mounting means for the completed seat I0;

A sponge rubber pad l6, which is molded tosponge rubber is found to-be softer, longer lived, and more suitable for cushioning purposes thanold types of blown sponge rubber. Figure 4 best shows that the sponge pad [6 has a relatively thick base or seating portion llthat is carried by the rear portion I2 as that bears or carries the most load when a person is sitting upon the seat ID. A reduction in the depth of the pad I6 is made in the portion thereof extending over the nose portion l3. From Figure 2 it is seen that the undersurface of the sponge pad [.6 has a plurality of flat topped recesses l9 formed therein. Certain of these recesses 19a have larger diameters than the remainder, as shown. Figure 4 shows that some of the recesses 1% are deeper or extend farther through the sponge pad I6 than the remainder. The deepest recesses lflb are at the rear edge of the seat as that carries relatively low load. Observe that the axes of substantially all of the recesses are all perpendicular to the upper surface of the cushion so that the fiat tops of the recesses areparallel thereto. This is a distinct feature of the invention and permits maximum saving of rubberin base element or seat ll that of the seat has a minimum amount of sponge rubber thereon. Obviously, this reduces the volume of rubber required to cover the seat without impairing the supporting and cushioning function of the seat in any manner.

The seat I0 is completed by securing leather or Other suitable covering means 2| over the sponge pad Hi. This cover 2| extends along the sides of the pod Ii and projects dowmvardi y therefrom so that a cover materiat 2m on the undersurface of the base II can be secured to the protruding edges of the cover 2| and form acomplete sheath around the seat. cure the cover to the base II,

In placing the cover 2| over pad '8, it ueualiy is drawn tightly over the rubber pad and com-' presses or distorts the edge portion of the pad. This reduces the diameter of some of tlmrnems. at the rear of the seat (note Figure 4) and brings.

Rivets 2Q seout a further function of the recesses. mat is,

they make the sp nge easily orm s that a IBJKQ fo ce is not required to m, Also, the sponge is IGQW'JQF comefleible due to its: ceiularand: due to. the voids or iii therein" V EigmxeZ best showethao the: at thgbsae m m H are bent. do and only outwardly tram he rem inder the and. Alt-p or flame Lia.- isormed n mm H to 0391 the; ed e; oi the moist base member provides a subvert tom the co r it while alsoactirmt to. ti t the mire nce. between the; hue, and over thereby memoir: we displace memef mimrmiiwolthem,

Since the, mbhnr and Hi which mm is made rubber woweddimctlatxm loom, is memlded to; conform subs antial in the contour of the base ll it is or stress when position d therm and the assembly 0d the seat- & Simplified. U116; m witbi'the reduction is volume on rubber m, provides claw co ting lined seat luv-- ingimproved supporting prope ties.v This the omects. oitl e imention While a written description and illustration of one embodiment of the invention is disclosed herein, it will be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bicycle seat or the like comprising a base member having an edge portion that extends downwardly and outwardly from the main seating portion thereof, a sponge rubber seat cushion molded to conform to said base member, said Nahum having fiat topped recesses in the lower surface thereof, the tops of said recesses being parallel tothe upper surface of said cushion, the axesof those recesses adjacent the rear edge of the cushion tilted forwardly to make an acute angle wi h acid base member, the axes of the remaining recesses being perpendicular to the upper surface of the cushion, said cushion having an des: 11 downwardly therefrom and g with. the: edge. of. sud base-member, and cover mam; Securing said cushion to said base. member, said cushion filling the entire space be-- tween said. ccur. and said bu memben.

2,. A bicycle wet or the like comprising, a base. member having an edge. nation that extendsdownwardly from the main seating portion thereon and a sponge rubber. seat cushion, molded to con-term to said. bnsemember. said. cushion 1mm am we. lip extending downwardly h re r m and e with the edge or said base, member said. cushion having flat topped recessed in file-lower Mace thereon the, tons. of. said.

- recesses being parallel. to the upper surface; at

said cushion, the axes of those recesses adjwi e m 48B of he cushion tilted fozzwandlyto make-a1: acute-angle withsaid base. the axes oi theremainina recesses bei z penpn ndicue m lar to, he 0ml: saztace, otthe cushioln GILBERT. v. sorEz-t. 

